The NFL just took the NFC West rivalry halfway around the world, and not everybody thinks the price was worth it. What was supposed to be a historic game for the league in Australia came with 100,000 fans packed into the MCG stadium. At the center of the backlash was the decision to host the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers‘ NFC West clash in Melbourne. And the 49ers’ 27-7 win only added more fuel to the discussion.
As Roger Goodell pushed business interests too far, Mike Tomlin’s son added his voice to the growing criticism about the decision.
“NFL GREEDY A** FOR THIS GAME😭 THIS IS A DIVISIONAL GAME W**” wrote Dino Tomlin on his X post.
Over the years, the league has actively hosted more regular-season games outside the US to expand its audience, with international games becoming an important part of the league’s calendar.
San Francisco arrived in Melbourne roughly a week before kickoff to settle in, while the Rams arrived only about 28 hours before the game. Sean McVay defended the approach afterward, saying he did not believe the late arrival explained the defeat.
“I don’t believe that that’s why we didn’t play well enough. I really don’t. … I’ll always make decisions that I think are best for the football team. It’s easy in hindsight to be able to say it was a miss, but those are responsibilities that I’ll take.”
Even fans were frustrated with the seating and the venue, adding more to the criticism.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, which hosts cricket matches, was converted into a football field to host the NFL’s very first regular-season game in Australia. The stadium has a capacity of 100,024, and was crowded with about 100,021 fans to watch the historic game.
The first row of seats sat 50 yards from the sideline — roughly 150 feet — compared to the regular 45-50 feet in NFL stadiums.
“Fans in Australia for this 49ers/Rams game are seated incredibly far away from the field,” NFL Insider Ari Meirov wrote as he shared visuals of the field on X.
Fans were also frustrated about the ticket prices, noting that they paid for tickets that ranged from $95 for standing to $140 per person for upper grandstands. The ground-level tickets and premium categories sold for roughly $216 to $800. Meanwhile, premium endzone experiences started at $2,250.
At the end, the NFL’s global ambitions are not going away. But as the league continues to take games overseas, reactions like Dino Tomlin’s show that the business of football can collide with the competitive side of the sport.